You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, You shall not bow down to them or worship them;This commandment is part of the Decalogue, emphasizing the prohibition against idolatry. In the ancient Near Eastern context, idol worship was prevalent, with nations surrounding Israel worshiping gods represented by physical images. The command underscores the exclusive worship of Yahweh, rejecting the practices of neighboring cultures. The act of bowing down signifies submission and reverence, which should be directed only to God. This aligns with Jesus' teaching in Matthew 4:10, where He affirms worship is due to God alone. for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,
The term "jealous" reflects God's desire for exclusive devotion, akin to a marriage covenant. This jealousy is not petty but protective, ensuring the purity of the relationship between God and His people. In Exodus 34:14, God is described as "Jealous" by name, emphasizing His commitment to His covenant. This divine jealousy contrasts with human jealousy, as it seeks the well-being of His people by keeping them from harmful idolatry. visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children
This phrase addresses the consequences of sin affecting subsequent generations. It reflects the communal nature of ancient Israelite society, where family and community were deeply interconnected. The impact of a father's sin could influence his descendants, not as a direct punishment but as a natural consequence of living in a sinful environment. Ezekiel 18:20 clarifies that each individual is responsible for their own sin, yet the effects of one generation's actions can ripple through time. to the third and fourth generations
This expression indicates the enduring impact of sin but also suggests a limit to its reach. In contrast, God's mercy is described as extending to thousands of generations (Deuteronomy 7:9), highlighting His greater propensity for mercy over judgment. The generational impact serves as a warning to maintain faithfulness to God, ensuring blessings rather than curses for future generations. of those who hate Me,
Hatred towards God is equated with disobedience and idolatry. This phrase underscores the relational aspect of the covenant, where love for God is demonstrated through obedience (John 14:15). The consequences described are for those who actively reject God, contrasting with the blessings promised to those who love Him and keep His commandments. This dichotomy is central to the covenant relationship between God and Israel, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe prophet and leader of the Israelites who delivered God's commandments to the people. 2. IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, who were receiving the Law as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. 3. Mount SinaiThe place where God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, including the commandment in Deuteronomy 5:9. 4. God (Yahweh)The one true God, who is described as a "jealous God" in this passage, emphasizing His desire for exclusive worship. 5. GenerationsThe descendants of those who disobey God, who may experience the consequences of their ancestors' sins. Teaching Points Understanding God's JealousyGod's jealousy is not like human jealousy; it is a righteous desire for His people to remain faithful to Him alone. The Seriousness of IdolatryIdolatry is not just the worship of physical idols but can include anything that takes the place of God in our lives. Generational ConsequencesWhile God mentions visiting iniquity on future generations, it is important to understand this in the context of communal and familial influence rather than direct punishment. Personal ResponsibilityEach individual is responsible for their own relationship with God, and repentance can break the cycle of sin. God's Mercy and JusticeGod's justice is balanced with His mercy, offering forgiveness and restoration to those who turn back to Him. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding God's jealousy help us in our personal relationship with Him? 2. In what ways can modern-day idolatry manifest in our lives, and how can we guard against it? 3. How do the generational consequences of sin affect families and communities today, and what steps can we take to address them? 4. How does Ezekiel 18:20 help us understand personal responsibility in light of Deuteronomy 5:9? 5. How can we balance the understanding of God's justice with His mercy in our daily walk with Him? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 20:5This verse is a parallel to Deuteronomy 5:9, reiterating the command against idolatry and the consequences of disobedience. Numbers 14:18Highlights God's justice and mercy, mentioning the visiting of iniquity to future generations but also His forgiveness. Ezekiel 18:20Clarifies individual responsibility, stating that each person is accountable for their own sin, balancing the generational aspect. Psalm 79:8A plea for God not to hold past iniquities against the current generation, showing a desire for mercy. Jeremiah 32:18Acknowledges God's justice in dealing with iniquity across generations, while also emphasizing His steadfast love. People MosesPlaces Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, HorebTopics Bow, Charging, Faces, Fathers, Fourth, Generation, Generations, Hate, Haters, Hating, Honour, Iniquity, Jealous, Punishing, Punishment, Serve, Sin, Sons, Third, Thyself, Visiting, Worship, Wrongdoing, ZealousDictionary of Bible Themes Deuteronomy 5:9 1185 God, zeal of
5694 generation
5762 attitudes, God to people
6026 sin, judgment on Deuteronomy 5:6-21 1443 revelation, OT
7263 theocracy
8412 decisions Deuteronomy 5:7-9 8138 monotheism
8799 polytheism Deuteronomy 5:7-10 5211 art Deuteronomy 5:8-9 8345 servanthood, and worship Deuteronomy 5:8-10 5682 family, significance
8773 jealousy Deuteronomy 5:9-10 5724 offspring
5731 parents Library Prayer and Obedience
"An obedience discovered itself in Fletcher of Madeley, which I wish I could describe or imitate. It produced in him a ready mind to embrace every cross with alacrity and pleasure. He had a singular love for the lambs of the flock, and applied himself with the greatest diligence to their instruction, for which he had a peculiar gift. . . . All his intercourse with me was so mingled with prayer and praise, that every employment, and every meal was, as it were, perfumed therewith." -- JOHN WESLEY. …
Edward M. Bounds—The Necessity of PrayerThe Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 "They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his Children; they are a Perverse and Crooked Generation. "
Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation." We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
Now the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things--First, In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life; Secondly, In consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. For the First. 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Exod. xxxi. 12, 13, 15, &c.) More particularly-- First, From all the works of our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety The Everlasting Covenant of the Spirit
"They shall be My people, and l will be their God. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me."--JER. xxxii. 38, 40. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews The Foundations of Good Citizenship.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.--Ex. 20:1-17. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible I, 194-198. Prin. of Politics, Chap. II. Lowell, Essay on "Democracy." Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Deuteronomy 5:9 NIVDeuteronomy 5:9 NLTDeuteronomy 5:9 ESVDeuteronomy 5:9 NASBDeuteronomy 5:9 KJV
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